Murasaki Shikibu

Murasaki Shikibu was born was born in 978 in Kyoto, Japan and passed away in 1014 or 1025. She was a Japanese novelist and poet.

Biography and Career :

Her father was a wise man from Kito, being preoccupied of his daughter's education.

She was the author of the medieval Japanese novel "Genji Monogatari", written in the Heian era, by the year 1000, one of the earliest and most famous novels in human history..

She wrote that novel after the death of her husband Fujiwara no Habutaka, 20 years older than her.

Murasaki Shikibu was a maid of honor at the Court of Shioshi, the wife of the Emperor Ichijo.

Three works are attributed to Murasaki, the most important being The Tale of Genji; The Murasaki Shikibu Diary, and The Murasaki Shikibu Collection were arranged and

published posthumously.

Trivia :

- "Murasaki Shikibu" was not her real name.
- - Her diary states that she was nicknamed "Murasaki" ("purple wisteria blossom") at court, after a character in The Tale of Genji.
- Her actual name is unknown.
- Her novel, "The Tale of Genji" is one of the earliest and most famous novels in human history.